This blog is about life on board our narrowboat Sanity Again, cruising the inland waterways of the UK (mainly in the spring, summer and autumn) and living in a marina in the winter. It's the way I choose to write it; if you don't like it, there are many other boating blogs.

Tuesday, 26 July 2016

A good day in lots of ways

OK, so the boat that just squeezed in in front of us on the VMs here in Alrewas promptly got out and started a Honda suitcase genny :(, but apart from that we've had a very good day. As planned, we set off just before half seven on a fresh sort of day but by no means unpleasant. I steered most of the time with Sheila taking over for the locks.

Anyone who didn't know us would think I was some dreadful chauvinist who only let the wife near the action when he had to (shut up, you lot ;) ) but in practice it's working out about right. Until the swelling is well under control, there's no need to take chances with Sheila's recovering foot and anyway, I need the exercise.

Land and Water were blocking the winding hole below Wychnor lock, dumping dredge and reeds on the banks around the hole, but we weren't kept waiting long before getting through. All the locks were against us and it was gone nine before we started meeting boats coming the other way. On the other hand, there was plenty of room on the moorings just above Alrewas lock, which we reached just before half ten.

After coffee, I took a walk into the village to buy some supplies, including indulgent Cornish Pasties from Coates's. Mind you, I didn't know Cornish Pasties were 50% peas... Still they made a very filling lunch after our exertions.

That excellent chap Nev from Percy is stopping by on his way home from work with a serious spanner set to see if we can nip up the oozing joints in the fuel pipework. It's not a major worry, but that smell of diesel does get everywhere from even the merest smear. It is so good to have friends, it makes all this blogging worthwhile.

The forecast is not too good for tomorrow, so we may well take a rest day here before pressing on on Thursday. The next section involves quite a lot of locking and therefore steering for Sheila, so letting her foot recover for a day seems advisable.

No comments:

Our home

Contributors

Our eBooks

We've now written four e-books. We have been selling them via Amazon, but we've taken the decision to avoid benefitting from Amazon's tax avoidance strategies. Instead, if you would like a copy of any of these, please email me using the link below, saying which ereader you use. I'll send you a copy in return for a donation to a waterways or cancer charity of your choice.

Building Sanity Again is an account of just that, based on the blog I did whilst it was all going on and with an evaluative chapter added.

A Boater's Commonplace Book is Sheila's compilation of answers to the questions we've been asked during our time as liveaboard boaters such as "Is it cold in the winter?" and "How far have you been?"

Tales from the Towpath is another of Sheila's compilations, this time of all the funny things that have happened to us on the waterways over the last 35 years plus, together with some stories we've only heard about.

Practically Cooking on Board is my cookbook, using ingredients and equipment reasonably readily available to the boater. No sous vide or liquid nitrogen here!

Email link:

Cruising plan: Spring and Summer 2017

After a winter in the marina, we plan to set off again at the beginning of April, heading for Stourport, the Severn and then the Droitwich. Then we'll make our way back via Tardebigge, Lapworth and Hatton to arrive at Crick in good time for the Show.

After that, we may well head back north to the Llangollen, aiming to arrive at Poynton in late August for the Owners' Weekend and Open Day.